2 Timothy 1:8-18 - Do Not Be Ashamed

Introduction

Last week on 2 Timothy 1

Stir up that gift

Don’t give in to fear

This week on 2 Timothy 1:8-18

Don’t be ashamed of the gospel or its messengers; rather, embrace the suffering that comes with the gospel; hold onto and guard the gospel no matter what.

Vs. 8-12 - Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel

Don’t be ashamed, but share in the sufferings of the cross.

In the light of verses 6 (rekindle the fire) and 7 (don’t give into fear)

Don’t be ashamed of Christ, His message, or His messengers.

Think about how Jesus' message goes against pretty much everything our culture sees as strength.

The world says to love as long as there is something in it for you, but Jesus says to love sacrificially.

The world says to look out for #1, but Jesus says to consider others better than yourself.

The world says one thing about leadership, but Jesus calls us to servant leadership

The world says to affirm me, but Jesus calls us to holiness

But share in the sufferings of Christ by relying on His power.

It was not enough for Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel, but Paul encouraged him to actively share in the sufferings of Christ.

We do not have to be actively seeking out hardship or persecution. Even though the church spread out in Acts due to persecution, it remained faithful amid trials, persecution, and suffering.

The ministry of Timothy and our ministry today should be marked by being willing to suffer for Christ over fear of those who would oppose it.

Why was Paul a prisoner? Because of the gospel of Christ.

Vs. 9-11 - Check out the message of the gospel.

He has saved us by His grace. This is not of ourselves or anything we could have done, but solely because of the mercy and grace of the Lord.

This is why many oppose the cross, because it is an affront to them and their pride. You mean there is nothing that I can do to earn my way to heaven?

Isaiah 64:5-7 “You welcome the one who joyfully does what is right; they remember you in your ways. But we have sinned, and you were angry. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. No one calls on your name, striving to take hold of you. For you have hidden your face from us and made us melt because of our iniquity.”

He has called us to holiness

A life that is set-apart for the Lord - 1 Peter 2:9

Alistar Begg (Overview) - “Yet this accomplished salvation carries an inseparable dimension: the call to holiness accompanies complete salvation, with those whom Christ saved on the cross being effectually called by the Holy Spirit to holiness, leaving their sins and endeavoring to be like Christ.”

Do the people around us know that we are Christians, and does what we say match up with how we are living and the choices that we are making?

1 Peter 1:15-16; Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:10

He has abolished death

He has brought us life and immortality through Jesus

He has sent us to proclaim His salvation to others.

He sent Paul as an apostle, a herald, and a teacher.

Acts 26:15-18 “… And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

He has sent us as well.

That is why I suffer:

Paul suffered because he heralded the gospel, and people didn’t like it.

The enemy opposes all those who bring the message of life to others.

I am not ashamed because:

I know in whom I believe

He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me.

This could be that Christ is guarding what Paul has given to Him, meaning his life, faith, soul, etc.

Contextually, the more probable rendering is that Christ can guard what He has entrusted to Paul and to us.

Christ will continue to uphold and guard the gospel that He has entrusted to us.

Think of how many times people have sought to refute or destroy the Bible.

Diocletian - “Extinct is the Name of Christians.”

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.”

The Word of the Lord has survived all forms of criticism and potential extinction.

If the Lord can guard His word, I am sure that He can guard you as well.

It is as if Paul is saying to Timothy, "Don’t shrink back in fear of what you might suffer for the Lord; embrace it, and count it as a blessing.”

The disciples rejoiced that they were counted worthy enough to suffer for the Lord (Acts 5:41).

Philippians 3:10 - Paul’s goal was to know the fellowship of His sufferings.

Hebrews 11:25-26 - “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.”

Vs. 13-18 - Hold onto the Gospel - No Matter What

Hold onto - To Keep

To keep what?

Sound teaching

Stott - “healthy words - Greek expression being used in the Gospels of people whom Jesus healed.”

These words are whole, not maimed or diseased.

What do the words of the gospel or of the Word do for us?

Psalm 19:7-11 “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. They are more desirable than gold — than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.”

Hold on in faith and love in Jesus Christ.

How did Jesus treat people as He ministered to them?

There is a time for gentleness, and there is a time for direct honesty and confrontation.

How are we supposed to do this?

By trusting what the Scriptures say - truly understanding that this is the Word of God which should be trusted, relied upon, and obeyed despite our present circumstances and feelings.

Not only hold onto, but guard the gospel

The picture is one of vigilance or that of a soldier guarding something important.

I think of the scenes where a person is walking with a handcuffed briefcase, or when the Secret Service is guarding their charge.

We guard the Word by clinging to it, studying it correctly, passing it down to others, and allowing it to speak into our lives.

We guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

We guard it because false teaching undermines the gospel and destroys people's faith.

The Idolatry in the land of Israel during the time of Elijah caused the Lord to withhold His provision, protection, and blessings from His people.

David Platt - “It is possible to claim to worship the One true God and bow at the feet of other gods in our lives.”

We guard it against those false teachers, false prophets, who would hijack the Word of the Lord for their own purposes, abuse it, and use it to abuse or control others.

Colossians 2:19 - “They don’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.”

We are encouraged in other places to contend for the faith (Philippians 1:27; Jude 1:3),

Hold fast to and guard - what do these phrases bring to mind?

The need for courage

The need for faithfulness even when things get tough

We not only hold onto and guard, but we do this even when people abandon us because of our allegiance to the Scriptures. (Vs 15).

Paul here would name two guys who presumably did not hold fast or guard the gospel and were at least ashamed of Paul.

Guzik - “If there were Christian radio back then, no one would want to interview Paul. If there were Christian magazines back then, Paul would not have been on the cover. Paul would have had a hard time finding a publisher for the books he had written. For many Christians of that day, Paul seemed too extreme, too committed, not flashy or famous enough. Even the Christians of Asia – where Paul did a great work (Acts 19) – turned away from Paul.”

There are people in need of encouragement who have given their lives for the gospel. Let us not abandon them, or be ashamed of their work and suffering for the Lord.

Don’t be like these guys, Timothy; instead, be like Onesiphorus

One who remained invested in Paul’s life

One who refreshed Paul

One who stood by Paul

One who put in the effort to search for Paul (despite the current persecution).

One who ministered to Paul.

Just a note:

In the CSB, Paul gave 17 words on those who abandoned him, but 61 words on the man who ministered to him.

The enemy likes to keep our focus on the negative, doesn’t he?

May we place more focus on those in our lives who bring encouragement than on those who abandon and hurt us.

Paul prays for Onesiphorus

He prays for mercy for Onesiphorus and his household.

Once again, we see Paul praying.

Conclusion

So, Timothy:

Stir up those gifts

Know that God has given us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind over fear

Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel, but be willing to suffer for it.

Be willing to suffer for the life-giving, mercy-laden, grace-filled, death-abolished, revealed through Christ, Gospel!

Hold on to these words, cling to them, and guard them.

Don’t let those who abandon you have the loudest voice

Find those who encourage you.

Stott - “Guard it faithfully, spread it actively, suffer for it bravely. This is our threefold duty vis-a-vis the gospel of God as expounded in the first chapter.”